With four children - including one with special needs - it wasn't that easy for Matthew Grootenboer to travel to hospital for chemotherapy. The 50-year-old firefighter - who lives in Callala Bay - is one of the first cancer patients in the state to take advantage of a new home-based chemotherapy service. Chemo@home has provided thousands of home-based infusion treatments in WA, and is busy expanding into South Australia and Victoria. In April the provider entered a partnership with Shellharbour Private Hospital, run by Healthe Care, to give patients the option of treatment in the comfort of their own home. Mr Grootenboer said he jumped at the opportunity to have chemo administered by a nurse at his home, under the direction of his oncologist Associate Professor Ali Tafreshi. "I had a sore left testicle and so went to get it checked, and an ultrasound showed there was an abnormality, and that I needed surgery to remove it," he said. "A biopsy showed it was testicular cancer, although it hadn't spread. Yet I still needed chemotherapy to reduce the chance of it coming back. "I'd had to travel a lot to Shellharbour and with four kids, my youngest who has Down Syndrome, it was proving hard for me and my wife. "So when I was offered the chance to get the treatment at home, I jumped at it." Prof Tafreshi said several of his patients were now accessing in-home cancer treatments. "This is the first site in NSW where this is being offered currently, and it's very exciting," he said. "We know that cancer treatment doesn't just affect the patient, it affects their whole family - with many arrangements needing to be made so partners or carers can accompany the patient to treatment at a centre. "This option gives families more flexibility - they don't have to organise transport or child care or take time off work. And for many patients who are anxious about the treatment, they might prefer to have it at home. "More than 90 per cent of chemotherapy regimens we do in cancer centres we can do at home. It's not an option for everyone - and some prefer to come into a centre - but it is a good opportunity for a significant number of patients." Chemo@home co-founder Julie Adams said the service was covered by private health funds - although the provider was in talks with local health networks to make it an option for public patients too. "For private patients the cost of having treatment at home is covered by their health fund, with no gaps," she said. "Many patients without private health still opt to pay for this service, although we are working to make it more widely available for public patients." Ms Adams said the service was especially useful for those who lived some distance from cancer centres. "We also recognised how valuable it was for people to be in their own homes - where they could relax, have a cup of tea, maybe have their dog next to them," she said. "People often feel like a lot of choice is taken away from them when they're diagnosed with cancer - giving them this option really empowers them." Prof Tafreshi said advances in cancer treatment in recent years meant that home-based infusion treatments were possible. "Treatments have changed, and we also have much better supportive medication and so are much better at managing the symptoms," he said. "So treatment can be done at home very safely."

Prof Tafreshi said several of his patients were now accessing in-home cancer treatments.

"This is the first site in NSW where this is being offered currently, and it's very exciting," he said.

"We know that cancer treatment doesn't just affect the patient, it affects their whole family - with many arrangements needing to be made so partners or carers can accompany the patient to treatment at a centre.

"This option gives families more flexibility - they don't have to organise transport or child care or take time off work. And for many patients who are anxious about the treatment, they might prefer to have it at home.

"More than 90 per cent of chemotherapy regimens we do in cancer centres we can do at home. It's not an option for everyone - and some prefer to come into a centre - but it is a good opportunity for a significant number of patients."

Chemo@home co-founder Julie Adams said the service was covered by private health funds - although the provider was in talks with local health networks to make it an option for public patients too.

"For private patients the cost of having treatment at home is covered by their health fund, with no gaps," she said. "Many patients without private health still opt to pay for this service, although we are working to make it more widely available for public patients."

Ms Adams said the service was especially useful for those who lived some distance from cancer centres.

"We also recognised how valuable it was for people to be in their own homes - where they could relax, have a cup of tea, maybe have their dog next to them," she said.

"People often feel like a lot of choice is taken away from them when they're diagnosed with cancer - giving them this option really empowers them."

Prof Tafreshi said advances in cancer treatment in recent years meant that home-based infusion treatments were possible.

"Treatments have changed, and we also have much better supportive medication and so are much better at managing the symptoms," he said. "So treatment can be done at home very safely."